Negi Probe Clouded by Missing Evidence, Top-Level Shuffle

Shimla: The sudden replacement of IAS officer Rakesh Prajapati as Managing Director (MD) of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) has reignited controversy surrounding the suspicious death of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi. The change, barely 39 days after Prajapati’s appointment, comes at a time when demands for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter are gaining ground.

Negi went missing on March 10 and was later found dead in Gobind Sagar Lake, Bilaspur, on March 18. His family has alleged that mental harassment and pressure from senior officials led to his death, which they believe was not a suicide. In a bold public protest, they staged a sit-in with his body outside HPPCL headquarters in Shimla, calling for a CBI investigation.

In the aftermath, the state government had replaced then HPPCL MD Harikesh Meena and Director (Electrical) Desh Raj. Prajapati, a respected officer known for his transparent administration and COVID-19 crisis management in Kangra, was appointed on March 19 to stabilise the situation and restore public trust.

His short tenure, however, ended with the appointment of Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq as the new HPPCL MD. Hussain was the DC of Bilaspur when Negi’s body was discovered. Furthermore, Hussain had already faced criticism in a tourism project controversy in Gobind Sagar Lake, Bilaspur.

Adding to the mystery is the silence surrounding a detailed inquiry report submitted by senior IAS officer Onkar Chand Sharma. The report remains locked away, inaccessible to both the public and the press. Even more troubling is the unaddressed disappearance of a pen drive allegedly containing crucial digital evidence. BJP leader and sitting MLA Sudhir Sharma had raised this issue.

Opposition leaders, including former CM Jai Ram Thakur, had sharply criticised the government’s handling of the case. They have questioned why no action has been taken against officials reportedly named by Negi’s family and why frequent changes in leadership are being made at such a sensitive juncture.

With the promised 15-day inquiry yet to yield any transparency, the missing evidence, and the replacement of a widely respected officer with one already mired in local controversy, doubts are mounting. For many, these developments signal a troubling drift away from truth and accountability in the Vimal Negi case.

S Gopal Puri